Historic pardon to be agreed at Maungapōhatu

Māori Development Minister Te Ururoa Flavell has today announced the Crown will return to where Rua Kēnana was arrested more than a century ago to sign an historic agreement to advance a statutory pardon for the Tūhoe prophet and leader.

On 2 April 1916 a contingent of 70 armed police invaded Maungapōhatu to arrest Rua Kēnana. In an exchange of gunfire, his son Toko Rua and Te Maipi Te Whiu were killed and other Māori and four police were injured.

Charges laid against Rua Kēnana over the invasion were either dismissed or resulted in his acquittal, but he was sentenced to 18 months imprisonment on an earlier charge of “moral resistance”. The Iharaira faith went into decline after the events and has never fully recovered.

The Waitangi Tribunal in 2012 determined that excessive force was used in the arrest of Rua Kēnana and it was unlawfully carried out as it was on a Sunday.

“It has been over a century since this happened and it is time to right that wrong,” says Mr Flavell.

“I am proud to announce the Crown intends to bring in legislation to pardon Rua Kēnana and this agreement with his whānau and followers of the Iharaira faith is another step on that journey.

“It was a heart breaking moment in the history of our nation. His descendants and followers of the faith have suffered immeasurably since the police actions of that fateful day.”

On September 9 the Crown will go to Maungapōhatu Marae to sign an agreement with Ngā Toenga o ngā Tamariki a Iharaira me ngā uri o Maungapōhatu charitable trust on behalf of the whānau and Ngā Toenga o ngā Tamariki a Iharaira, to progress the pardon for Rua Kēnana.

The Crown will also apologise to the descendants of Rua Kēnana and Ngā Toenga o ngā Tamariki a Iharaira.

After the agreement is signed the next step in the process will be the Crown bringing in legislation, which will also include a summary of the circumstances surrounding the 1916 invasion of Maungapōhatu and subsequent events, to enshrine the statutory pardon in law.

Mr Flavell began exploring legal avenues to pardon Rua Kēnana at the request of the whānau and Ngā Toenga o ngā Tamariki a Iharaira last year after a request was made at the 100-year commemorations of the invasion of Maungapōhatu.